People associated with the livestock and fisheries sector can now avail the benefits of Kissan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme which is likely to give a boost to these sectors.Principal Secretary Animal, Sheep and Fisheries, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, made these remarks during a meeting here to finalize the modalities for rolling out the Scheme in the State.The meeting was attended by Director Animal Husbandry, Jammu, Dr Victor Kaul, Director Animal Husbandry, Kashmir, Dr M Y Chaproo, Director Sheep Husbandry, Jammu, Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Director Fisheries, R N Pandita, Managing Director Wool Board, Harnam Singh Rana and officials of NABARD and other concerned.Dr Samoon said that the credit scheme will enable fisheries and animal husbandry farmers to meet their working capital needs besides provide them access to organized sector credit.He said that the government is exploring more ways for enhancing the quality and productivity of livestock rearers output.He directed the officials to chalk out a strategy with bankers to bring maximum people under the cover of the Scheme at an earliest.Stressing that Government is keen to make the new facility beneficial for maximum farmers, Dr Samoon stressed upon banks to pace up their efforts and work in coordination with district administrations for the realization of set goals.He gave instructions to formulate the first list of beneficiaries of KCC in all the districts within a week’s time.The scheme will meet the short term credit requirements of rearing of animals, birds, fish, shrimp, other aquatic organisms, and capture of fish.In the fisheries sector, farmers (individual or groups/ partners/ sharecroppers/ tenant farmers), Self Help Groups, Joint Liability Groups and women groups can avail benefits under the scheme.
Similarly in poultry sector, poultry farmers either individual or joint borrower, Joint Liability Groups or Self Help Groups including tenant farmer of sheep/goats/poultry/birds/rabbit and having owned/rented/leased sheds are eligible for the scheme.Farmers and Dairy farmers either individual or joint borrower, Joint Liability Groups or Self Help Groups including tenant farmers having owned /rented/leased sheds are also eligible in dairy sector.The scale of finance will be fixed by the District Level Technical Committee (DLTC) based on local cost worked out on the basis of per acre/per unit/per animal/per bird etc.The working capital components in fisheries, under the scale of finance, may include recurring cost towards seed, feed, organic and inorganic fertilisers, lime/other soil conditioners, harvesting and marketing charges, fuel/electricity charges, labour, lease rent (if leased water area) etc.For capture fisheries, working capital may include the cost of fuel, ice, labouring charges, mooring/landing charges etc. may form part of the scale of finance.For the working capital components in Animal Husbandry recurring cost towards feeding, veterinary aid, labour, water and electricity supply is included. The maximum period for assessment of working capital requirement may be based on the cash flow statement or completion of one production cycle.The meeting was informed that the account/smart card for the loan issued under the scheme is to be maintained/issued separately from the existing KCC loan to monitor the utilization limit.